Perth/Fremantle

The schedule around the western Australian ports has changed a lot since the original cruise itinerary came out. Originally it was supposed to be Broome, Geraldton, Perth/Fremantle, Busselton, Albany, Esperance, and then on to Adelaide. Broome and Geraldton were canceled due to “port congestion.” That’s a reason that, to quote one of my favorite Rogue One lines, I find vague and unconvincing. Later on Busselton was canceled and Albany and Esperance pushed back a day due to rough seas.

In short, Australia’s been a mess for us. Yours truly is missing the whole thing since the Aussies apparently don’t want my tourist money. Liz and the boys are soldiering on admirably, but this whole segment will definitely go down as a low point on the trip.

We hadn’t made a lot of plans for the Perth/Fremantle stop, figuring it was a big city area and we’d figure it out more or less on the fly. On the first day Liz joined up with a group going to Rottnest Island, which is a few miles offshore of Perth. The island is home to many quokkas -- small, hopping marsupials that have been labeled "the happiest animals in the world.” They rented bikes and cycled around the island. Devin was all in and even did the extra 3km or so to complete the circuit. Once again I want to express my appreciation to the people on board who have been so kind and supportive of my family in my absence. It’s meant the world to us!

On the second day there Liz and the boys went along with a bunch of other ATW cruisers to Target to stock up on some supplies. This was both a supply run and a chance to relax a bit in more familiar surroundings. International travel is all about getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing things that are new and different. That takes effort, and after weeks of doing that in places that are very different from our home life taking a day to feel a bit more comfortable and relaxed is totally reasonable.Read more